Not Applicable
This invention relates to kitty litter boxes, and in particular, to disposable kitty litter boxes.
Kitty litter boxes, as is known, are filled with absorbent material. Although there are numerous types of absorbent material designed to deal with the odor of used kitty litter, eventually, the used kitty litter must be disposed of. There are numerous types of kitty litter boxes designed to facilitate disposal of the kitty litter. The easiest to use is the disposable kitty litter box. Such boxes contain kitty litter, and, when it is time to dispose of the kitty litter, the box and the absorbent material within the box are all disposed of. An example of a prior disposable kitty litter box is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,573 to Bremley, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Litter boxes, such as the box shown in the above-noted patent work extremely well. A conventional kitty litter box is about 21xe2x80x3xc3x9713xe2x80x3xc3x973xe2x80x3. Generally commercial kitty litter boxes are available in packaging in substantially these dimensions. Because of this size, the boxes are typically arranged, in the store, flat with one box stacked upon the other. Due to the size, it is difficult for a store to have many of such kitty litter boxes out at a single time. Thus, the shelves must be restocked more often.
The kitty litter box of the present invention is formed from a one-piece, unitary blank. It is provided as a closed box which opens to a full standard sized kitty litter box. After use, the opened kitty litter box can be closed to facilitate disposal of the box.
The dimensions of the kitty litter box when closed, are significantly smaller then the dimension of a standard, opened kitty litter box. Thus, the kitty litter boxes, when closed, can be stood on end in a store to form a row of boxes. Due to the relative dimensions of the closed kitty litter box, because the closed kitty litter boxes are arranged in rows on the store shelves rather than stacked, more closed kitty litter boxes than standard opened kitty litter boxes can be placed on the store shelves. Thus, when the kitty litter boxes of the present invention are used, the store can better maximize the use of the available shelf space.
The kitty litter box includes a first section, a second section, and an intermediate section. The first and second sections are identical in size and shape. Each has a panel, side walls extending up from side edges of the panels and end walls extending up from end edges of the panels. The intermediate section has a back panel and side walls extending up from side edges of the intermediate section panel. The first and second section panels are hingedly connected to the intermediate section panel; and the first and second side walls are hingedly connected to the intermediate section side walls. Thus, the side walls form a continuous wall from the end of the first section to the end of the second section.
To facilitate folding of the box from the opened position to the closed position, the intermediate section side walls include a fold line extending diagonally from a top of one edge of the intermediate section side wall to a bottom of another edge of the intermediate section side wall. Additionally, the second section side wall includes a first diagonal fold generally parallel to the intermediate section diagonal fold line and which extends from the fold line joining the second section and intermediate section side walls. The second section also has a second diagonal fold line extending upwardly from a forward edge of the side walls. The first and second diagonal fold lines divide the second section side walls into two end triangular sections and a trapezoidal section between the triangular sections. When the box is folded from its opened position to its closed position, the second section side walls fold inwardly along the diagonal fold lines so that the first section side walls can fit over the second section side walls.
When the kitty litter box is in the opened position, the panels of the first section, second section, and third section are substantially coplanar and define a bottom of the opened kitty litter box and the side walls of the first section, second section, and intermediate section, and the end walls form a continuous wall around the periphery of the panels of the opened kitty litter box. When the kitty litter box is in the closed position, the first section and second section panels define a front and back of the closed box, the intermediate section panel defines a bottom of the closed box, the first section side walls define side walls of the closed box, and the first section end wall defines a top wall of the closed box.
Handles are formed in the end walls of the kitty litter box. The handles include spaced apart legs and a cross-member extending between the legs. The handles have fold lines at distal ends of the legs where the legs join the end walls so that the handles can be moved between a first position in which the handles are coplanar with the end walls and a second position in which the handles are out of the plane of the end walls to facilitate carrying of the box. The handles define tabs on the end walls between the legs, and, when the handles are in the second, carrying, position, the slits defining the handle legs form channels in the end walls adjacent side edges of the tabs. When the kitty litter box is in the closed position, and the handles are in the second, carrying, position, the legs of the second section handle extend through the channels of the first section end wall and frictionally engage edges of the first section channel. Additionally, the tab of the first section end wall extends between the legs of the second section handle and frictionally engages inner edges of the second section handle legs.
In one variation of the kitty litter box, the second or forward set of diagonal lines of the side walls are eliminated and diagonal fold lines are added to the end panels. The end panel fold lines extend from the bottom corners of the end panels upwardly and diagonally towards an upper edge of the end panels. The diagonal fold lines are angled such that said side walls can be folded inwardly to lie flat against the first, second, and intermediate section panels.
In another embodiment, the end walls are two-ply end walls, each comprising an inner panel and an outer panel. Fold tabs are provided at the ends of the first and second section side walls which are sandwiched between the inner and outer panels of the end walls. The end wall inner panels frictionally engage the respective first and second section panels to allow the box to be formed without glue. The free ends of the end wall inner panels can be provided with at least one tab. The tabs increase the frictional engagement between the inner panels of the first and second end walls and said first and second panels, respectively. If desired, debossments can be provided with the first and second section panels which engage the end wall inner panel tabs.
The kitty litter box is provided with kitty litter (which preferably is contained within a closed bag inside the closed box). When the box is closed and standing on its bottom (the intermediate section panel), the kitty litter is at the bottom of the box.
The weight of the kitty litter and the frictional engagement of the handles and end walls maintain the kitty litter box in its closed position such that the kitty litter box need not be wrapped or taped to maintain the box closed.
The kitty litter box can also be provided with a disposal bag sized to accept the kitty litter box in either a folded or partially folded condition to dispose of the kitty litter box after use.